The Trump administration sent a State Department team to London earlier this year to investigate alleged violations of free speech, particularly targeting pro-life campaigners.

According to The Telegraph, the five-person delegation, led by Samuel Samson from the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor, met with British officials in March and held private interviews with activists arrested for silently praying or protesting near abortion clinics. Their findings are being reported directly back to the White House.

Among those interviewed were Isabel Vaughan-Spruce, Rose Docherty, Adam Smith-Connor, Livia Tossici-Bolt, and Father Sean Gough, all detained in separate incidents for silently praying near abortion clinics.

Isabel Vaughan-Spruce was arrested in December 2022 and again in early 2023 for silently praying outside an abortion clinic in Birmingham. She was not carrying a sign or speaking aloud, but was accused of violating a local buffer zone law that prohibits protest within 150 meters of the clinic. She was released without charge both times and later won a £13,000 settlement from West Midlands Police for wrongful arrest.

Rose Docherty, a 74-year-old grandmother, was the first person in Scotland to be arrested and charged under new buffer zone laws for abortion clinics. She was detained in February 2024 outside Queen Elizabeth University Hospital in Glasgow while peacefully standing near the facility, holding a sign that read, “Here to talk, if you want.” Docherty insists she did not harass or intimidate anyone, but authorities said her presence within the restricted 200-meter zone violated the law.

Adam Smith-Connor, a British Army veteran, was convicted in October 2024 for silently praying near a Bournemouth abortion clinic in 2022. He stood without signage or speaking aloud, praying for his son who was lost to abortion. The court found he had breached the local buffer zone law, and he received a two-year conditional discharge.

Father Sean Gough, a Catholic priest, was charged in December 2022 for praying near an abortion clinic in Birmingham while holding a sign that read, “Praying for free speech.” His parked car displayed a bumper sticker that read “Unborn Lives Matter.” Though the charges were later dropped, the case raised concerns over the limits of religious expression under buffer zone laws.

Livia Tossici-Bolt, a 64-year-old retired medical scientist, was convicted in the UK for breaching a buffer zone outside a Bournemouth abortion clinic by holding a sign that read, “Here to talk, if you want.” Although her legal team argued she was engaging only in consensual conversation, the court ruled her actions violated the 150-meter protest ban. She received a two-year conditional discharge and was ordered to pay £20,000 (about $26,000) in legal costs.

One month before the delegation’s arrival, Vice President J.D. Vance delivered a pointed speech at the Munich Security Conference, accusing British and European officials of suppressing dissent and abandoning core Western values. He warned that across Europe—and in Britain in particular—free speech was “in retreat.”

Rose Docherty's recent arrest justified every iota of Vance's criticisms of the overreach. pic.twitter.com/3A5f9cxBnl

— Rod Lampard (@rod_lampard) February 24, 2025

The White House issued a statement affirming concern over the U.K.’s direction. In a post on X, the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor said: “US-UK relations share a mutual respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms. However, as Vice President Vance has said, we are concerned about freedom of expression in the United Kingdom.

“While recently in the UK, DRL Senior Advisor Sam Samson met with Livia Tossici-Bolt, who faces criminal charges for offering conversations within a legally prohibited ‘butter zone’ at an abortion clinic. We are monitoring her case. It is important that the UK respect and protect freedom of expression.”

The U.S. State Department has also recently criticized Australia for pressuring American tech companies to censor content, highlighting the case of Canadian activist Chris Elston (“Billboard Chris”). Elston, who opposes transgender ideology, had his post about a transgender activist linked to the WHO’s gender care guidelines removed after the Australian eSafety Commissioner flagged it as “cyber abuse.” 

The U.S. condemned such politically motivated censorship, calling it a threat to democracy and free expression, and cited similar government pressures in the EU and Türkiye. Elston has challenged the removal in court, with support from international human rights groups. His case underscores concerns about government overreach in online speech regulation, especially on politically sensitive topics like gender identity. A tribunal decision is expected later this year.

Vice President J.D. Vance has previously warned the West that U.S. military support should depend on respect for American values, especially free speech.

Dear Australia, Vance has a message for you:pic.twitter.com/b0lntpUdHt

— Caldron Pool (@CaldronPool) November 10, 2024

He argued it’s “insane” to back any alliance that doesn’t uphold free speech, saying American power comes with conditions, particularly from European allies. While he wouldn’t impose values on other nations, he expects European countries to share basic American principles like free speech.

“Look, I’m not going to go to some backwards country and tell them how to live their lives, but European countries should theoretically share American values, especially about some very basic things, like free speech,” he said.